Ja Morant is already trying to draw a line between who he was in Memphis and who he wants to be in Portland.
In his first interview with Trail Blazers media, Morant addressed the reputation that has followed him after a turbulent stretch with the Grizzlies. The new Blazers guard said the issues from his past have already been dealt with and shouldn’t keep defining him now.
“I’ve done what I’ve done in the past, but it’s been addressed and handled already. I don’t see why, years later, that’s still the topic when nothing’s happened since," Morant said as he took accountability for the issues he had in the past.
Morant arrives in Portland after what had once looked like the start of Memphis’ most successful era unraveled far faster than expected. That group has since been scattered around the league, and Morant’s own off-court and team-related issues became part of the story, too.
During the later part of his time with the Grizzlies, Morant dealt with a string of problems, including questionable social media activity and a clash with Tuomas Iisalo in the 2025-26 season. Those moments helped harden his public image, even as his game and personality remained impossible to ignore.
He has long been known for playing with swagger, talking trash, celebrating loudly, and bringing a big personality to the floor. Now, though, he says he’s in a different place and ready to move forward with the Trail Blazers under head coach Micah Nori in the 2026-27 season.
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Blazers Fans Wont Like Who Just Made Portland Pay In Vegas
The Blazers trip through Summer League in Vegas turned into a familiar kind of annoyance, the sort that lingers a little longer because it came against a team with a recent Portland connection. Phoenix slipped past Portland 81-79, and the Suns got a big lift off the bench from Javonte Cooke, who spent time on a Trail Blazers two-way deal before moving on and showing what he could do in a game that mattered to both sides emotionally, even if only one side was keeping score.
Cookes night was the kind that makes a front office replay a decision in its head, especially when a close game is decided by a handful of possessions. Portland had already moved on with other two-way options, but Cookes performance in Vegas gave the Suns a useful answer and left the Blazers with another reminder that roster churn in July can come back to sting in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Just Sent Yang Hansen A Brutal Message About His Minutes
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For Yang Hansen, the message is hard to miss. The 2025 first-round pick is now competing in a crowded room where Carlson and Potter are both in line for rotation minutes, and every available stint is going to be earned the hard way. Portland may still like Hansens long-term upside, but the immediate path to playing time just got a lot narrower. [Read more 🡒]
Yang Hansen Gave Blazers Fans Plenty To Love And Worry About
Yang Hansens first Summer League run in a Trail Blazers uniform gave fans a little of everything in Portlands 81-79 loss to Phoenix. The young big showed off the kind of footwork and passing touch that made him such an intriguing addition, and he was active on the glass while logging 26 minutes in Las Vegas. For a debut in a setting where everything is magnified, it was easy to see why the Blazers are interested in what he might become.
The other side of the tape was just as revealing. Hansen is still learning how to handle the physical edge that comes with NBA-level frontcourt play, and he had stretches where the Suns made him work for every inch. That is the tension for Portland now: the skill package is real, the growth curve is obvious, and the path to a rotation role will depend on how quickly he can tighten the areas that were exposed in his first look. [Read more 🡒]